Went to an estate sell, didn’t make it till the last day so most of the tools were gone but there was one left that I had some interest in. It was a Rockwell 10’ Band Saw. It is a model 28-113 from the mid 70s and I got it for $70. It turned on and had little vibration and the wheels on it seemed solid. So 2 questions… was this a good deal and what do I need to make it solid. I changed out the blade, checked the wheels and they seem good… what else?

$70 seems like a fair, not fantastic deal. The ‘tires’ on the wheels I would check first, they wear out, check the pulley, they sometimes get out of whack when people are careless taking them on or off. There are a lot of bearings on a band saw make sure those are all in good shape. I’d also find a manual for it online and go through all the steps to set it up and adjust it. You’ll probably either fix the vibration in the process or run across the offending part.

as for the circle thing you could also just make one to replace it.

Band saw is a good choice for a first tool. They are very versatile and can do a lot of different things. rip, crosscut, curves, re-sawing, mitres, compound angles. Add a router next and you’ll be all set.